Murder in the Garden of Enchantmentby Kathryn Gaucci

After receiving an invitation to a prestigious wedding in Constantinople, Theodosia begins planning, shopping for new clothing for herself and daughter, and gifts for the bride and groom. While talking with a close friend of hers, she hears some worrisome news about the groom and his reputation, and asks one of her servants to discreetly follow the young man to determine if these rumors are true or false. For if they are true, the young woman about to be married—the younger daughter of a friend of hers—will likely have an unhappy marriage ahead of her.

This cozy, historical fiction murder mystery was a beautiful description of life in early 20th century Constantinople. While it focused mostly on the wealthier lifestyles, it did also include a small amount about those who were among the less fortunate. This was a different type of book that what I am used to seeing from Ms. Gaucci as it is not primarily based on historical events or taking place in the middle of WWII. I received a review copy of this book, and as I have her WWII historical fiction novels, I enjoyed this one too.

The descriptions of the people and places are quite vivid. And it makes it easy to imagine being in the middle of a street market in Constantinople during this time period. And while I did figure out the “who-done-it” part of the story, there were quite a few surprising twists and turns along the path to revealing much of the how and why as well as the who behind the murder. For me, this was a nice, relaxing read. One where I could sit and immerse myself in the setting and the culture described within the book. And I believe that was one of my favorite aspects of this story.

If you like historical fiction with a touch of cozy mystery added in, then you will very much enjoy reading this book. I look forward to seeing what Ms. Gaucci provides her readers with her next novel. Whether that is a return to her WWII historical fiction or another cozy mystery, we are sure to enjoy the descriptions of what life would have been like in that time period and location.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

Self-Editing for Fiction Writersby Renni Browne & Dave King

This textbook is one that was strongly recommended for a class that I am currently taking. It covers a fair amount that can be problematic, especially for writers who have not previously been published. It covers such topics such as show versus tell,  characterization, exposition, point of view, voice, and more.

There is a lot of useful and helpful information in this book, along with examples of what the authors are talking about. There are also exercises in each chapter for the reader to put into practice what each lesson was about. The “answers” to the exercises are at the end of the book rather than at the end of the chapter with each exercise. I personally would have preferred them to be on the pages immediately after the exercises themselves, but being able to look at a potential solution to each one is in itself helpful, no matter where in the book it winds up.

I would recommend that anyone reading this book attempt to complete them as it lets you put into practice what you are trying to learn. They are useful and the explanations on their answers are also helpful in teaching the why behind the choice to change the passage in certain ways.

At times, this felt very much like I was reading a textbook, which is what it is, however that aspect does at times make it a little less interesting (causing it to feel a bit "dry") to me than the previous book assigned in this class. But overall, I believe this is a helpful and useful book for anyone seeking to not only improve their writing, but who is seeking to improve their self-editing skills in order to strengthen the impact of their stories.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

The Champion's Lord by V.C. Willis

After losing control of their land to the invaders from the old continent, life had been rough for many people, most of whom now seek only to survive. When the empire’s crown prince comes seeking an alliance with the Thompson clan, he brings along some knowledge of what the invaders seem to be looking for, though parts of the puzzle are still missing. Still, Raphael is determined to try and aid his new friends and allies as best he can while trying to keep the fate that befell the empire from happening again. With the help of Ashton’s family, hopefully he can succeed, despite the odds stacked against them.

I first read an Advance Review Copy of this book when it was originally about to be published only as a Yonder app Web exclusive and enjoyed it. But earlier this year, the book was released more widely and is now available in both a paper and ebook versions from multiple retailers. (And with Yonder closing down later this month, access to this book on the app will be lost.) I reread the book before updating my review to repost, and I can say that it is just as enjoyable to read the second time around.

I found this book to be well written; the story is fast paced and the characters are fascinating. They each have their own problems and faults, just as they bring their own strengths and abilities to the fight. They know that if they fail, things will become very dark for those still around to see it. Someone is messing around with dark magic, and without the aid of the Fates, will anything remain? And if the Fates are forced to intervene, who knows what will happen.

It does need to be noted that this fantasy/adventure story is not meant for younger readers. There are a fair amount of very graphic sexual encounters, both male/female and male/male. This book is a very descriptive, very steamy adventure/romance novel. There is also some violence in the story, as it is clearly building up to a war, or at least some sort of battle between two opposing forces; one side seeking to protect, the other, possibly to destroy or possibly simply to dominate and control the rest of the world.

If you enjoy books that involve male/male as well as male/female relationships, have read any of Ms. Willis’ other books, or are looking for an extremely steamy fantasy adventure/romance novel to read, I’d recommend giving this book a try. I think you’ll enjoy it. Ms. Willis is an excellent writer, and one whose books are worth taking the time to read.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

As & When by Alex Andre

Aileen has been running the “underground” element of Locksville for a while. And while it may not seem like an important job, without her influence chaos would take over and no one would be safe. By keeping things controlled, there is essentially peace. And even those in charge of the city on the more lawful/legal/political side of things recognize that without her and her group controlling the less than legal elements of the population, things would get very bad, very quickly. So when Aileen disappears without explanation (a highly unusual thing), it is up to her second in command, Bo, to find out what has happened to her and to arrange for whatever is needed to bring her home.

This was the second book in a post-apocalyptic/dystopian series called the E Apocrypha. While this book focuses mainly on a different part of the world from the previous book, it does include many of the characters we met in that novel. In this story, we learn quite a bit about Aileen and how she came to be in charge of the underground element of Locksville, as well as why she was kidnapped. Her adventures, as well as those of Bo, the one seeking to find and rescue her, make for a very interesting and entertaining story.

I received and read a review copy of this book and I greatly enjoyed it. I especially enjoyed the references to characters from the first book in the series and learning what happened to them after the conclusion of their story. And while I do believe that readers could probably read this book even without having read the previous one, I think that they will enjoy it much more if they have read the first book. (Without the information from that story, readers may miss some of the reasons why the referenced characters from the first book are still important to know about in this one.)

I believe that anyone who enjoys post-apocalyptic and/or dystopian novels will enjoy this book a great deal. I found the mix of characters who see the usefulness of mechanical equipment and those who feel that such were the cause of the catastrophe that essentially reset the world to a pre-industrial society interesting. And the complexities of those who marvel over what was lost and historical compared to those who seemed to feel that everyone was better off without them also enhances the story. In my opinion, this is a story that is well worth reading, and I am looking forward to reading the third book in this series.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.